CARLSBAD TO CONSIDER INCREASED ENFORCEMENT

City takes aim at restaurants recently cited for violations of public health orders

Carlsbad will consider increased enforcement of the county public health orders this week in response to multiple violations by downtown restaurants claiming to be in “peaceful protest” of the COVID-19 restrictions.

San Diego County issued 17 cease-and-desist orders to restaurants in Carlsbad’s downtown Village neighborhood between Dec. 10 and 15, said Councilwoman Cori Schumacher, in a Dec. 26 letter asking Mayor Matt Hall to schedule a special City Council meeting.

“Due to the dynamic nature of the COVID-19 crisis, and the increasing documentation of willful violations of the public health order, it would be prudent to revisit the consideration and guidance from our staff ... to ensure we are doing our utmost to protect our community during the greatest public health crisis of our lifetime,” Schumacher said in her letter, which she posted on Twitter.

City officials said Wednesday the online meeting has been set for 3 p.m. Tuesday. The agenda and staff report will not be available until Monday because of the New Year’s Day holiday.

The county returned to the highest level of restrictions in early December because of the high number of COVID cases. Despite the restrictions and citations, some restaurants have continued to serve sit-down patrons indoors. Others only serve patrons on outdoor patios, and some only sell take-out orders but allow customers to eat at outdoor ta

Carlsbad will consider increased enforcement of the county public health orders this week in response to multiple violations by downtown restaurants claiming to be in “peaceful protest” of the

COVID-19 restrictions.

San Diego County issued 17 cease-and-desist orders to restaurants in Carlsbad’s downtown Village neighborhood between Dec. 10 and 15, said Councilwoman Cori Schumacher, in a Dec. 26 letter asking Mayor Matt Hall to schedule a special City Council meeting.

“Due to the dynamic nature of the COVID-19 crisis, and the increasing documentation of willful violations of the public health order, it would be prudent to revisit the consideration and guidance from our staff ... to ensure we are doing our utmost to protect our community during the greatest public health crisis of our lifetime,” Schumacher said in her letter, which she posted on Twitter.

City officials said last week that the online meeting has been set for 3 p.m. Tuesday. The agenda and staff report will not be available until Monday because of the New Year’s Day holiday.

The county returned to the highest level of restrictions in early December because of the high number of COVID cases. Despite the restrictions and citations, some restaurants have continued to serve sit-down patrons indoors. Others only serve patrons on outdoor patios, and some only sell take-out orders but allow customers to eat at outdoor tables.

The Carlsbad City Council previously discussed enforcement at a Sept. 22 meeting, where it agreed to employ two additional police officers in the beach areas to inform people about the health hazards of the pandemic and encourage them to wear face coverings. However, in a 2-2 split, the council rejected a proposal to make masks mandatory and step up enforcement with administrative citations and fines.

Since then, the election of a fifth member, Councilwoman Teresa Acosta, makes it unlikely that any vote would end in a tie.

Public comments on enforcement were mixed at the council’s September meeting, with a majority opposed to the idea.