SUBMITTAL TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE, STATE OF CALIFORNIA

ITEM: 3.18
(ID # 13536)
MEETING DATE:
Tuesday, September 22, 2020

FROM : SUPERVISOR JEFF HEWITT:

SUBJECT: SUPERVISOR JEFF HEWITT: Riverside County Guidelines [$0]

RECOMMENDED MOTION: That the Board of Supervisors:

1. Adopt the Riverside COVID-19 Reopening Plan.

ACTION:

____________________________________________________________________________
MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

Page 1 of 2 ID# 13536 3.18

 SUBMITTAL TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE,
STATE OF CALIFORNIA

ACTION:

Department of Public Health to place metrics to move from one phase to another. Data reports
on Behavioral Health, Social Services, and Economic Metrics.

BACKGROUND:
Summary

On January 29 we received a plane full of diplomats and their families from the Wuhan District
of China. Riverside County stood ready to house and treat the very first plane of peoples
escaping COVID-19. This would be one of many examples of our preparedness and resolve to
fight for the health and wellbeing of our residents. The bold and swift actions of Public Health,
EMD, RUHS and many others have made Riverside County not only a haven, but and example
to other countries across the country on how to deal with COVID-19.

Six months after the first “15 day” shutdown, our economy is still not open. We have
experienced a disturbing pattern of achieving California state requirements only to have the
standards changed. Testing requirements, positivity rate, the number of hospital beds, and
many other metrics have been adjusted; forcing our country to remain shut down. The state’s
lack of clear guidelines has left thousands of peoples uncertain about their abilities to pay bills
and provide for their families.

Today the economic impacts are clear, thousands of businesses and hundreds of thousands of
jobs have been lost due to the shutdown of our economy. We feel the burden of these economic
impacts for years to come, it is time for Riverside County to take responsibility for our own
wellbeing. By following the guidelines for reopening our economy and protecting the most
vulnerable in our society from contracting this deadly virus.

The plan laid out below is phased in such a way that we can monitor the impacts of changes
made; placing the health of our residents first. It is paramount that we continue to socially
stance ourselves, wear face masks when in public spaces, protect the health and safety of the
elderly and immunocompromised. We must also continue to test those who are sick, and those
who show no symptoms, so we can monitor our progress.

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