West Sacramento Mayor Pushes Back Against Reopening As State Gives Yolo County Green Light
WEST SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Yolo County can now add its name to the 40 counties slated to move further into phase 2 of reopening. But one person still pumping the brakes on moving forward is West Sacramento Mayor, Christopher Cabaldon.
"What we really can't afford is another outbreak and resurgence, that would be devastating and catastrophic. The economy can't afford that but we can't afford that just as human beings in a community," said Cabaldon.
Cabaldon has taken a steadfast stance on reopening strategically. West Sacramento accounts for 55% of all COVID-19 hospitalizations in Yolo County and half of the cases not stemming from nursing homes. Cabaldon says the keys to reopening safely are testing and contact tracing.
"That's actually better than shelter-in-place as a way to contain the virus. So if we can develop that system, quickly then we could almost instantly move to reopening," Cabaldon said.
Peter Halldorf is the General Manager at Yolo Brewing Company. He counts on his job to pays the bills, but he also counts on it to keep him safe.
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"I'm on the side of doing what is best for our employees and our customers... we want to make sure that we're protecting our customers and our employees and our business as well so it's a mix of feelings right off the bat for sure," said Halldorf.
But ready or not, things are moving forward. As Yolo County is approved to move ahead, it's able to reopen dine-in services at restaurants and retail stores with social distancing. Gyms like Fitness System have been pushing to reopen with the owner posting several safety precautions on the door.
"Here's what we've heard from business, what we can not afford is reopening and then closing back up again," Cabaldon said.
Although the county has been given the go-ahead, Cabaldon still urges everyone to take things slowly until testing is up and running, insisting that that's just days away. The first full testing site in West Sacramento is set to open in June.