Can I visit friends or family yet? Limit gatherings to 10 people, SLO County says
San Luis Obispo County residents still aren’t supposed to visit friends and family outside their households — but local public health officials are now advising those who do to keep their groups under 10 people.
California remains under a stay-at-home order that Gov. Gavin Newsom enacted on March 19 to curb the spread of COVID-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus.
County officials allowed a local stay-at-home order to lapse once it became clear jurisdictions would be required to follow the state’s reopening plan, known as the Resilience Roadmap.
California’s four-stage plan — which ends with the stay-at-home order being lifted — doesn’t allow gatherings of any kind during Stage 2, which is currently in effect.
SLO County gathering guidance
However, as hair salons, retail stores, restaurants, houses of worship and gyms begin to open, county officials acknowledge that residents are likely having private gatherings in their homes with people outside their families.
“The state continues to have a very restrictive approach to this, which is ‘no gatherings,’” said Dr. Penny Borenstein, county Public Health officer, during a May 27 news conference. “We in this county (recognize) that people, in their personal lives, are going to do what they’re going to do, and we’d much prefer that they use good common sense and guidance from us.”
“So, based on what we think is reasonable, we have said to private gatherings, people in their homes, please limit it to 10,” Borenstein continued. “Please limit it to people that you’re routinely in contact with, and don’t be moving all about with who you’re congregating with.”
Event planning and coronavirus
Borenstein said county officials are waiting two weeks between each phase of reopening to see if there’s an uptick in COVID-19 case numbers.
She reiterated her previous statements on limiting private gatherings to 10 people at a June 1 news conference.
“We know it is happening anyway,” Borenstein said. “No one is coming to individual homes to determine if someone is a member of the family.”
She said she’s received questions regarding preparations for weddings and other events, and those decisions will be left to event planners.
If residents do move forward with events, Borenstein urged them to screen guests and staff for fevers and other symptoms, have guests maintain a six-foot distance and wear masks, hold gatherings outdoors and avoid inviting out-of-state guests.
“I don’t have any particular insight as to when or how the state is going to open up in terms of size of gatherings or timing of moving forward in terms of gatherings,” she said.
