Coronavirus Crisis: Dozens Protest Stay-At-Home Order In Sonora
SONORA (CBS13) — People in the small town of Sonora are saying enough is enough.
Many are wanting out of the stay-at-home order and to go back to business as usual. Dozens crowded the park near the Tuolumne County courthouse on Wednesday, holding signs and soliciting honks from passing cars.
The small town of 55,000 is where Cindy Zelinsky calls home. With this peaceful protest, she hoped to send a big message.
"Governor, if you're hearing me – we matter just as much as San Francisco," Zelinsky said. "We feel like our voices are not being heard."
Among those at the protest were small business owners Danielle Helm and Kayla Pfeifer, both local hairdressers. The women are itching to get back in the salon and make money again.
"It's not right. We are just as important as everybody else," Helm said. "We work and make money every day. If we don't work we don't get paid."
But it's not just about the closed storefronts. Randy Pare is upset he can't see his family during this crisis.
"I can't have my daughter over for dinner," Pare said. "We do have a problem in America – but certain parts of the country are overstepping our liberties."
In the middle of week five of the order, Governor Newsom says it is still necessary.
"We need to maintain our vigilance," Newsom said in a press conference on Wednesday. "We need to maintain the path that we are on. A path that is producing results."
At this point – Tuolumne County has a low number of cases. As of Wednesday afternoon, there are only two cases in the entire county. That's one of the main reasons those in Sonora don't feel they should be under such strict guidelines when it comes to staying home.
MORE: Coronavirus In The Greater Sacramento Region: Where Are The Confirmed Cases?
"In this county right here, where we are, we need to get the ball rolling and get back to life," Pare said.
This message is one they hope brings them one step closer to normalcy.
Governor Newsom says the state of California has some key factors to look at before they can re-open the state. There's no exact date of when that may be just yet.
