Sonoma County to Ask State for Early Reopening

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Facing dire predictions of economic downturn and financial hardship, Sonoma County supervisors are pushing forward a request to the state for a waiver from California’s strict reopening guidelines. That would allow a more rapid reopening of dine-in restaurants, stores, shopping malls and other currently shuttered businesses.

Sonoma County would join more than 30 of the state’s 58 counties in seeking to reopen their economies before they meet all of the state’s current criteria, which includes less than one new infection per 10 thousand residents within the last two weeks and no deaths in that same time period.

Currently Sonoma County doesn’t meet those benchmarks, but will satisify testing and healthcare requirements when ramped up state testing of more than 500 county residents per day starts on Monday.

Supervisors say they want to be ready for as quick a reopening as is possible, and also show the county’s half a million residents that they recognize their financial as well as health concerns amid the pandemic.

At Tuesday’s virtual board of supervisors meeting, county heath officer Dr. Sundari Mase said she believes an accelerated reopening now would risk a surge of cases, much as Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading infectious disease expert told congress this week.

And at least one leading Bay Area health officer, Dr. Sara Cody of Santa Clara County told supervisors in her county that any accelerated reopening there would trigger more coronavirus cases, and more deaths.

Still, believing that local conditions may warrant a quicker return to normal that in more urban areas, Sonoma County supervisors directed county officials to begin pursuing a waiver from the state, action which may come early next week.

Waiver or not, any changes to the county’s health order must be approved by Mase, and so far she has not fully endorsed the board’s push for an early reopening across Sonoma County.