Revised SIP

Health Officer Issues Revised Shelter-In Place Order and New COVID-19 Protocols for Schools Effective August 14

Post Date: 08/13/2020 4:21 PM

Health Officer Dr. Noemi Doohan issued a new Shelter-In-Place (SIP) Order today, Thursday, August 13, 2020, which is slated to go into effect at 3:00 pm on Friday August 14, 2020. The new Order maintains current restrictions, but adds additional limitations regarding gatherings and Children’s Extracurricular Activity Stable Bubbles. In addition, Dr. Doohan issued an Order regarding COVID-19 Protocols for Schools to support Mendocino County schools’ planning efforts regarding in-person instruction. 

Major changes in the SIP Order included: 

• The Order is effective through September 11, 2020. 
• Due to the increased risk of transmission, the Health Order reduces the maximum capacity from 100 to 50 persons for permissible outdoor gatherings for Place of Worship faith-based services and cultural ceremonies; outdoor funeral and memorial services; as well as outdoor protests.
• The Health Order updates the definition of “Children’s Extracurricular Activity Unit” as a Stable Group of 12 individuals (typically 10 children and 1-2 adults) who are together for purposes of organized recreation, which does not involve youth sports programs (school-based or otherwise). Any extracurricular activities that involve youth sports must follow the COVID-19 Industry Guidance: Youth Sports, which requirements include, in part, physical distancing of at least six feet between all youth and stable cohorts. (COVID-19 Interim Guidance: Youth Sports, https://files.covid19.ca.gov/pdf/guidance-youth-sports--en.pdf)

Mendocino County’s revised SIP goes in effect Friday, August 14 at 3:00 p.m. and will be in place until 3:00 p.m. on September 11, 2020. A revised order will be released upon the expiration of this Order.

The Health Order Regarding COVID-19 Protocols for School goes into effect on Friday, August 14 at 11:59 pm and will be in effect until rescinded. The Order provides protocols, including for COVID-19 surveillance testing of teachers and staff and response to potential school-based outbreaks, to support all Mendocino County schools and school-based programs, which have adopted in-person instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic, in accordance with State of California Department of Public Health (CDPH) Guidance: Schools and School-based Programs; and COVID-19 (https://files.covid19.ca.gov/pdf/guidance-schools--en.pdf) and Reopening In-Person Learning Framework for K-12 Schools in California, 2020-2021 School Year (https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/CDPH%20Document%20Library/COVID-19/Schools%20Reopening%20Recommendations.pdf). These guidances and this Order apply to all public schools (traditional and charter) and private schools (including nonpublic nonsectarian schools), and school districts operating in Mendocino County, but not to childcare programs or preschools, which should follow separate statewide childcare guidance and provisions of the local shelter-in-place specific to childcare.

Both Orders and an updated summary of open and closed businesses and activities are posted online at https://www.mendocinocounty.org/community/novel-coronavirus/health-order. The order is enforceable by imprisonment and/or fine thus we urge all residents and businesses to closely read the order and follow it.