Edhat Staff
Golfing is now allowed under the new Public Health Order in Santa Barbara (Photo by Pixabay from Pexels)
By edhat staff
The Santa Barbara County Public Health Department (PHD) issued a “Stay Well at Home Order” Friday clarifying restrictions on essential businesses and allowing faith-based gatherings, golf, and more, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
PHD Officer Dr. Henning Ansorg made the announcement in a press release Friday afternoon with the order being effective at 5:00 p.m. until May 31, 2020.
Dr. Ansorg issued Health Officer Order No. 2020-8 to clarify essential businesses within the county with efforts to reduce the spread of COVID-19. It states certain essential businesses may open with modified operations and social distancing protocols
Essential businesses are required to implement, prepare, and post a “Social Distancing Protocol” for each facility frequented by employees or the public. The Protocol must be posted at or near the facility entrance and be easily viewable. It is required that each business designates an employee to monitor and enforce compliance with the Protocol at all times the business is open to the public.
Seven elements of the protocol are required such as limiting the number of people in an area, specified line formations, provide hand sanitizer at the entrance for public use, and contactless payments.
The list of essential businesses has grown to include golf courses, faith-based services, childcare facilities, rideshare operations such as taxis or Lyfts, and more.
Although restrictions still apply, depending on the business. For example, faith-based services are allowed to resume but must be outdoors and attendees must remain in their vehicles at a distance. For rideshare drivers, they may only transport non-symptomatic riders, provide 6ft or more of distance within the vehicle, and sanitize the vehicle after each ride.
The restrictions on outdoor activities have been lessened and now permit visiting botanical gardens, golfing, tennis, and pickleball. Other activities such as pleasure driving, outdoor housework including gardening, walking, hiking, running, and bicycling, going to the beach or trail walking are still permissible with proper social distancing.
Santa Barbara County Supervisor Gregg Hart emphasized in a press conference on Friday afternoon this health order does not relax any restrictions but is a way to clarify questions that have been raised about Governor Newsom’s stay at home order.
However, prior to Friday’s press release, the Public Health Department confirmed such activities as golf, tennis, and faith-based gatherings were not allowed within the county. Now they are.
Businesses that must remain closed continue to include art galleries, concert halls, barbers/hair and nail salons, bars, casinos, campground and RV parks, gyms and fitness centers, movie theatres, and more.
The health order with a list of businesses allowed to open and those not allowed can be found here.
The health order warns that any violation or failure to comply may constitute a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $1,000, imprisonment, or both.
More information can be found on the Public Health Department’s website.
[Editor’s Note: This article has been updated to reflect new information provided in Friday, April 24, press conference]
They cannot offer a preference for “faith based” anything- either people can hold public gatherings while sitting in their cars or they can’t, regardless of whether “faith” is involved or not. How embarrassing. It’s like we re in West Texas or something
Yes. The previous stay at home order told people to stay indoors and only leave for essential tasks. Golfing, botanical gardens, tennis, and pickleball were prohibited.
Agree! I will assume my monthly book club will now be able to meet outside and stay 6ft apart while discussing our latest novel. It’s my version of “faith-based.”
I feel like this was added for the dummies who complain about seeing people outdoors at all (and trust me, I’ve seen a lot of people complaining about it). As far as pleasure-driving, I’ve seen many complaining that there were people even “on the road” at all, arguing that on the off-chance someone gets into an accident, the injured party would take up a valuable hospital bed. Here in SB County, where there is no surge. Come on. People need to learn the difference between Lockdown, Quarantine, and Shelter-in-Place orders. Be cautious and prudent, yes. But the level of fear, and the anger against others because of it, has been SO far out of bounds.
This is step in the right direction. Thank you sb.
i think it’s quite interesting that the public health order only mandates the wearing of a mask for… employees. not the public.
I don’t understand why ALL picnic benches, and accompanying BBQs, in public parks, are still closed with caution tape. I can sort of understand the big group areas that need to be booked in advance, but small picnic tables intended for families, come on!
I would also like to see the YMCA opened. I miss my daily lapswim and was visiting the Y until the very last day. People were careful in the gym areas, and the virus can’t survive in chlorine. I sat in the jacuzzi every day after swimming… there was no spike in COVID cases.
Breweries and restaurants should be allowed to have customers on their outdoor patios, at the very least.
Old people, persons with preexisting conditions, and scaredy-cats stay inside.
if you look at the order… item C for ‘faith based services’ states.. “Notwithstanding the above (i.e. in spite of), one or more persons not exceeding five, may enter nearby buildings as necessary to put on the presentation”
kinda throws the interpretation door wide open 😉
I’m so glad they made the clarification about pickleball – we have all been waiting in anticipation about the future of pickleball.
4:10 PM: would they arrest a gathering of atheists? I notice that dog parks are still closed. Pity. Hard to talk with some dogs about “social distancing” and many snouts don’t fit well in a mask.
Xantus, perhaps it is because wearing a mask does nothing for the wearer but does protect the downstream person.
The residents of Los Angeles County are grateful to Santa Barbara County’s open arms, allowing them to swarm our beaches en masse……. so, Dr. Ansorg et al, please do not pat yourselves on the back …. your order does NOTHING for locals except put us more at risk
You don’t understand more than why all the picnic benches have caution tape.
GeneralTrees: Why would you like to see “conservative” bodies stacked up?
perhaps you should actually read the order… where you’ll see that they actually put down 8 individual line items just about “the new rules of golf”. really shows you where their priorities lie 😉
Did Dr Ansorg write this himself or copy another on the revised order? Is this the first thing he has implemented since the shutdown? An electrician is essential but not a plumber (this is a Paid County Health Officer or Volunteer)?