County order restricts gatherings, requires use of face masks

By Doug Spoon, Editor

The Riverside County Public Health Officer today issued an order prohibiting public gatherings of any size and making it mandatory for everyone to wear a face covering any time they leave their home.

The order, issued late this afternoon, gives law enforcement the power to enforce the order. According to the wording of Dr. Cameron Kaiser’s order, violation of the order is a crime punishable by fine, imprisonment, or both.

“While more and more Riverside County residents are getting COVID-19, not everybody’s getting the message,” Kaiser said in making the announcement. “It started with staying home, social distance and covering your face. But now we change from saying that you should to saying that you must."

The order runs through April 30. It does not apply to essential businesses, including healthcare offices, grocery stores or gas stations. However, these businesses must use social distancing measures to keep clients and customers six feet apart and all employees must now wear face coverings.

All churches, temples, synagogues, mosques and other houses of worship are prohibited from all in-person gatherings, including drive-in religious services.

“We have already lost two of our deputies to this virus. I am asking all of you to honor them by staying at home,” said Sheriff Chad Bianco.

Key points of the public health order:

-- Prohibited gatherings include any event that brings together people in a single room or space other than family members residing in the same home. This includes parking lots and any indoor or outdoor space used for non-essential purposes. The order does not apply to essential personnel such as medical professionals, and it does not apply to essential trips at fuel stations or stores.

-- All persons shall wear face coverings such as scarves (dense fabric, without holes), bandanas, neck gaiter, or other fabric face coverings. All persons, including essential workers, are discouraged from wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) such as N95 masks for non-medical purposes.

-- Government entities shall enforce social distancing requirements at all parks and trails. If a government entity is unable to enforce social distance at such places, they must be closed.

The order was issued on a day when the health department released updated numbers showing 665 total cases of COVID-19 in Riverside County, including 25 in Menifee, with only 60 people recovered.

The complete order can be found at this link.