Yolo County Given Permission To Reopen Quicker
YOLO COUNTY (CBS13) — Yolo County has joined the list of 37 counties that have been approved by the state to move forward with reopening.
The California Department of Public Health added Yolo County to the list of counties that have been given the green light to move further into phase 2 Wednesday evening. Getting the green light means the county can reopen dine-in services at restaurants and retail stores with social distancing precautions in place.
A Yolo County spokesperson told CBS13 this does not mean businesses can reopen immediately. The county will be discussing reopening plans with the board of supervisors and the public health team and expect to have more information in the coming days about how quickly or slowly they'll move through stage 2.
Personal service businesses - like salons and barbershops - and fitness studios will still be under state orders to stay closed. Those businesses will be part of the third stage of reopening, as outlined by the state's roadmap.
READ ALSO: Sacramento County Allowing Fitness Studios To Reopen Under Certain Requirements
Counties need to meet specific criteria based on testing and coronavirus-related deaths in order to be given the go-ahead to reopen quicker. Gov. Gavin Newsom has since relaxed the criteria and now more than half of all counties in California have been approved.
Earlier Wednesday, Stanislaus County was approved to reopen more quickly. Sacramento County said Tuesday they were given approval and businesses can reopen after they amend their public health order, which is expected to happen by Friday.
Yesterday, West Sacramento Mayor Christopher Cabaldon wrote an email to county supervisors and California saying, "reopening without testing in the most affected area presents a clear danger."
"The amount of spread that the virus could reach over two weeks unchecked is enormous and could be catastrophic. We're looking at trying to prevent catastrophe with just a little bit more discipline over the next few days maybe," Cabaldon told CBS13 Wednesday.
West Sacramento accounts for 55% of all COVID-19 hospitalizations in Yolo County, and half of all cases that do not stem from nursing homes.
The first testing site for West Sacramento is still a couple of weeks away and is set to be open from June 2 to June 20. Testing is open to anyone in the community including agricultural workers, the homeless, undocumented employees, and residents.
