California regulators contacted about 1 million businesses this summer to inform them of public health protocols enacted to stem the spread of coronavirus while allowing people to shop and eat beyond their homes — but less than 0.1% of businesses faced related enforcement action, with state regulators saying their goal is to educate owners on best practices instead of enforcing penalties.
The Office of Emergency Services made 991,696 contacts with California businesses via phone, email and in-person visits from July 2 through Aug. 12. Those figures begin at the Fourth of July weekend, when Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that “strike teams” of state regulators would perform more outreach to help businesses — ranging from bars and restaurants to salons and barbershops — comply with public health protocols in counties on the state's monitoring list.
Out of these contacts, just 1,128 enforcement actions were issued to businesses cited for some sort of violation, such as allowing indoor dining when it was prohibited.
But this is partially by design: State officials say issuing fines is not their goal. Instead, the teams — which include state regulators from a variety of departments and boards — are primarily coming to businesses with an educational approach to make sure open establishments are following public health protocols that have become normalized during the pandemic.
"The goal is to protect public health and safety in communities with a high prevalence of COVID-19," said Office of Emergency Services public information officer Brian Ferguson.
More: California approved for extra $300 in FEMA unemployment benefits
More: Evictions could resume without state action. Here are the rules in valley cities
California has attempted to walk a line between stopping the spread of the coronavirus while keeping businesses open to prevent more economic damage. Both fronts remain severe: There are more than 663,000 cases of coronavirus in California, and at least 12,134 associated deaths. The state had a 13.3% unemployment rate in July, up slightly from June but representing more than 2.5 million Californians who are out of work.
Newsom this week is expected to announce new rules for counties that are removed from the state's monitoring list, which indicates elevated levels of transmission and prevents certain business activity from taking place.
"We deeply desire to reopen this economy fully, and we deeply recognize the stress businesses are under," Newsom said last week.
120 citations issued to bars, restaurants
The Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control issued citations to just about 0.25% of the businesses that it contacted since the Fourth of July weekend.
There are around 48,000 licensed bars and restaurants in California, according to year-end ABC stats, and the industry has taken a drastic hit from the pandemic-induced shutdowns and associated rule changes.
Since Newsom issued a stay-at-home order in March, California has gone from full lockdown with only essential services open to allowing some non-essential services to operate with new restrictions in place.
Restaurants statewide can only operate outside, a restriction that has prevented many in the California desert from being able to reopen amid the summer heat. Bars across the state can only be open if they're operating outdoors and serving meals.
About 150 sworn officers inspect these businesses as part of the state's "strike teams," said ABC public information officer John Carr.
COVID-19 crushed restaurants: How people are finding new ways to serve food
Eating out amid the pandemic? Restaurant workers offer tips on how not to be a jerk
Citations can be issued if a business is allowing large crowds to congregate unsafely, Carr said, and it is up to the county district attorney's office to pursue any prosecution.
ABC agents made 47,950 site visits to licensees between the Fourth of July weekend and Aug. 25 as part of the strike team operations, Carr said. Compliance has been "very high," he said, with 120 misdemeanor citations issued in the same timeframe.
In Riverside County, which has about 2,160 bars and restaurants, agents visited 1,458 spots and issued four citations from July 2 through Aug. 16, according to ABC data.
San Bernardino County has about 1,740 bars and restaurants. ABC agents made 1,002 visits and issued 11 citations.
Agents are primarily coming to the businesses with an education-first approach, Carr said. And the department has tried to find ways to make it easier for them to operate, such as allowing temporary catering permits that help restaurants expand their outdoor footprint, and allowing to-go cocktails.
"We know it's rough, but we're just working with the industry in ways to figure out how to assist them in this time when they've been asked to close and turn their business models upside down overnight," he said.
No citations for salons, barbershops
California's "strike teams" also include those who oversee compliance for salons and barbershops, through coordination with the Board of Barbering and Cosmetology — that agency hasn't taken any formal action against these businesses during the pandemic.
Hair salons and barbershops can operate outdoors in California counties that are on the state's monitoring list. But even with that allowance, the board's executive officer Kristy Underwood said most salons around the state remain closed.
"In our industry, it's so hard because we’re touching another person and sometimes getting very close face to face for their services," Underwood said. "That’s been a struggle for everyone."
The board, designed to represent consumer interests in the salon field, has received more than 3,400 complaints since the start of the pandemic, many of which were about salons that were open in defiance of state closure orders.
"It has slowed down a bit but when all salons were closed in the state of California, our complaints had a huge increase," Underwood said.
A total of 1,394 complaints had been closed as of Monday, Underwood said, meaning the operators came into compliance by closing or moving outside if allowed.
The complaint backlog is still being processed by the board's 10 agents, who have two-day-a-month furloughs and were already picking up extra work due to eight vacant positions in their department.
Since July 13, when salons were allowed to only operate outside, the board had visited 30 salons in San Bernardino County and 44 establishments in Riverside County and told them to close their indoor operations. By comparison, there were 375 establishments in San Bernardino County and 427 establishments in Riverside County that remained closed.
The circumstances brought on the pandemic “completely" changed the inspection process, Underwood said. Previously, routine inspections would typically result in a health and safety violation or some sort of fine. But now, the agency has stopped issuing those citations during the pandemic.
“We certainly didn’t want to go out and start out with a heavy hand in this environment,” she said. “We didn’t want to add to anyone’s unfortunate circumstances.”
Instead, the board uses an educational approach that aims to ensure compliance with current public health protocols, Underwood said. Guidelines for outdoor salons include requiring face masks when interacting with any member of the public — pursuant to the state's mandatory mask order — and having salon operators provide eye protection, face shields and protective gloves when necessary.
"We can't stress enough the social distancing and wearing a mask, "she said. "We just need people to follow the guidelines so we don't have another situation where everything has to close."
Melissa Daniels covers economic development, hospitality and local business in the Coachella Valley. She can be reached at (760)-567-8458, melissa.daniels@desertsun.com, or on Twitter @melissamdaniels.
"strike" - Google News
August 26, 2020 at 07:31AM
https://ift.tt/3lt6HK2
California 'strike teams' issue few citations to businesses over pandemic protocols - Desert Sun
"strike" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2WheuPk
https://ift.tt/2VWImBB
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "California 'strike teams' issue few citations to businesses over pandemic protocols - Desert Sun"
Post a Comment