ORDER OF THE HEALTH OFFICER OF THE COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE CANCELLING ALL GATHERINGS WITH EXPECTED PRESENCE ABOVE 10 INDIVIDUALS

ORDER OF THE HEALTH OFFICER OF THE COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE

CANCELLING ALL GATHERINGS WITH EXPECTED PRESENCE ABOVE 10 INDIVIDUALS

DATE OF ORDER: MARCH 16 2020

Please read this Order carefully. Violation of or failure to comply with this Order is a crime punishable by fine, imprisonment, or both. (California Health and Safety Code S 120295; County Ordinances 533 and 556.)

UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF CALIFORNIA HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE SECTIONS 101040, 101085, AND 120175, TITLE 17 CALIFORNIA CODE OF REGULATIONS SECTION 2501, AND RIVERSIDE COUNTY CODE SECTION 533.6, THE HEALTH OFFICER OF THE COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE (“HEALTH OFFICER”) ORDERS:

10. All gatherings within the jurisdiction of the Public Health Officer of the County of Riverside with an expected presence of at least 10 individuals taking place between March 16, 2020 and April 30, 2020 inclusive are hereby prohibited, regardless of venue. If a venue is subdivided into multiple spaces separated by physical walls or sufficient airspace, the limit per subdivision of space is 10. This order supersedes the Order of March 12, 2020 regarding mass gatherings.
11. It is further ordered that even for gatherings below this size, if a minimum social distance of six feet between attendees cannot be maintained in the venue or a subdivision thereof, the gathering is prohibited.
12. This Order does not apply to courts of law, medical providers, public utilities, critical county, city, and special district operations, critical school operations such as nutrition programs, continuity of business operations, logistics/distribution centers, congregate living settings, daycare and childcare, shelters, public transportation, airport travel, or necessary shopping at fuel stations, stores or malls. However, these settings are instructed to observe all applicable state and federal guidelines for infection control.
13. To the extent possible, daycare and childcare facilities must operate under the following mandatory conditions: A. Childcare must be carried out in stable groups of 12 or fewer (“stable” means that the same 12 or fewer children are in the same group each day). B. Children shall not change from one group to another. C. If more than one group of children is cared for at one facility, each group shall be in a separate room. Groups shall not mix with each other. D. Childcare providers shall remain solely with one group of children.
14. This Order is issued as a result of the worldwide pandemic of COVID-19 disease, also known as “novel coronavirus,” which has infected at least 128,000 individuals worldwide in 1 16 countries and is implicated in over 4,700 worldwide deaths, including fifteen (15) cases in Riverside County.
15. This Order is issued based on evidence of increasing transmission of COVID- 19 both within the County of Riverside and worldwide, scientific evidence regarding the most effective approach to slow transmission of communicable diseases generally and COVID-19 specifically, as well as best practices as currently known and available to protect the public from the risk of spread of or exposure to COVID-19.
16. This Order is intended to reduce the likelihood of exposure to COVID-19, thereby slowing the spread of COVID-19 in communities worldwide. As the presence of individuals increases, the difficulty and magnitude of tracing individuals who may have been exposed to a case rises exponentially, increasing the likelihood that such gatherings will impair efforts at mitigating the spread of the illness.
17. This Order is issued in accordance with, and incorporates by reference, the: March 4, 2020 Proclamation of a State Emergency issued by Governor Gavin Newsom; the March 8, 2020 Declaration of Local Health Emergency based on an imminent and proximate threat to public health from the introduction of novel COVID-19 in Riverside County; the March 10, 2020 Resolution of the Board of Supervisors of the County of Riverside proclaiming the existence of a Local Emergency in the County of Riverside regarding COVID- 19; the March 1 0, 2020 Resolution of the Board of Supervisors of the County of Riverside ratifying and extending the Declaration of Local Health Emergency due to COVID-19; the guidance issued on March I l, 2020 by the California Department of Public 1–lealth regarding large gatherings of 250 people or more; and the guidance issued on March 15, 2020 by the Governor of California.
18. This Order comes after the release of substantial guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the California Department of Public Health, and other public health officials through the United States and around the world recommending the cancellation of gatherings involving more than ten (10) or more persons in a single space at the same time.
19. This Order is made in accordance with all applicable State and Federal laws, including but not limited to: Health and Safety Code sections 101030, et seq.; Health and Safety Code sections 120100, et seq.; and Title 17 of the California Code of Regulations section 2501.
20. To the extent necessary, pursuant to Government Code section 26602 and 41601 and Health and Safety Code section 101029, the Health Officer requests that the Sheriff and all Chiefs of Police in the County ensure compliance with and enforcement of this Order.
21. Copies of this Order shall promptly be: (l) made available at the County of Riverside Health Administration office located at 4065 County Circle Drive, Riverside, CA 92503; (2) posted on the County of Riverside Public Health Department’s website (rivcoph.org); and (3) provided to any member of the public requesting a copy of this Order.

IT IS SO ORDERED:

Dr. Cameron Kaiser, MD, MPH, FAAFP

Public Health Officer

County of Riverside

Approved as to form and legality:

Grego P. Priamos

County Counsel

County of Riverside

Dated: March 16, 2020