Code Purple

Tuolumne County now in purple tier, most restrictive category in state

Most California’s 58 counties, including Tuolumne, were placed in the most restrictive tier of the state’s COVID-19 ranking system on Monday as part of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s response to an unprecedented surge of new cases.

Tuolumne County reported 95 new cases over the weekend and was among 41 counties that found themselves in the purple tier for widespread risk. The county’s case rate more than quadrupled between Nov. 1 and 7, according to the state’s data.

“We are now moving backwards not forward,” Newsom said in a presentation and press conference broadcast live and streamed on social media. “This surge is making this the worst phase of the virus we’ve seen so far.”

Newsom also said he was looking into the efficacy of implementing curfews if cases continued to spike, including “alcoholbased curfews” that other areas have put in place.

Purple-tier restrictions require bars that don’t serve food to be shuttered, and restaurants, gyms and other fitness venues and places of worship to close indoor operations and services.

Retail businesses are also limited to operating indoors at only 25 percent of their maximum capacity. Live audience sports are also not allowed to resume under the purple tier.

Workers at some of the affected businesses in downtown Sonora were just learning about the switch to purple-tier restrictions Monday afternoon and weren’t sure how it would play out at their establishments.

Businesses

Jessica Katz, owner of the Yoga Loft on South Stewart Street in Sonora, said her business would not be allowed to offer any indoor classes, but she hoped to be able to offer online options.

“We’re only open to do yoga outdoors for now,”

Katz said in a phone interview. “It’s so chilly we don’t have a lot of interest in outdoor classes now. We can’t do indoor yoga classes in the purple tier. We do hope to do online classes.”

Viney Anand, owner at Viney’s Italian Kitchen on South Stewart Street, said he plans to do whatever the county health department mandates, but he hopes to continue with outdoor dining, takeout and delivery.

A manager at Sonora Thai Cuisine on South Washington Street said the change to purple tier restrictions won’t change anything at her business

only since March.

Mary Ann Fiedler, owner at Rustic Roses Boutique on South Washington Street, said she believes Newsom and others with state and local health departments are overstepping their authority.

“We’re remaining open, absolutely,” she said in a phone interview. “The data doesn’t show Tuolumne County has reached pandemic proportions. If you look at June, July and August, we have a downward trend.”

Fiedler said she recently got into a “huge debate” with county public health officials who came into her store to do a mask inspection because she believes wearing a mask is a matter of personal choice.

“I told them I am going to sue their office,” she said. “You can wear a mask or not, it’s your choice. I know for a fact that this is corruption. I believe there is corruption in the data. Our state data does not support what the governor says about this pandemic.”

Schools

Several schools in Tuolumne County have positive cases of COVID-19 among staff and students, Cathy Parker, superintendent of Tuolumne County schools, said Monday, without specifying which schools.

Michelle Jachetta, the Tuolumne County public health director, said they do not disclose the names of facilities or businesses unless necessary for case investigation purposes.

“We have seen cases in both staff and students at several schools within the county, and schools continue to work closely with public health in response,” she said.

Curtis Creek Elementary School will be going to all distance learning through Friday after a staff member and two students recently tested positive, the school’s superintendent, Terri Bell, and principal, Sherri Wels, announced on Sunday in a joint statement through Facebook.

The statement said they learned of the cases on Saturday, and all three individuals were being isolated. They didn’t plan to bring students back on campus for in-person learning until Nov. 30, after the weeklong Thanksgiving break.

Jeff Winfield, superintendent at Soulsbyville Elementary School, said on Monday that he and his staff learned of one confirmed case of COVID-19 involving a student from last week.

“We dealt with this today,” he said. “We didn’t change anything on campus. We have some families on distance learning. We’re fully back in class on campus. Parents have the option to do distance learning.”

Winfield said there are about 485 students at the school, with about 30 of them on distance learning.

“Purple tier doesn’t change anything for our school,” he said. “It does affect a lot of the businesses around us, but the school will continue to operate.”

Public facilities

City of Sonora officials announced on Monday that all city-government facilities will be closed to the public until further notice due to the county being moved into the purple tier.

“This is a protective measure to limit public gatherings and to prevent the spread COVID-19,” City Administrator Mary Rose Rutikanga said in a news release.

Rutikanga said the public may still access the city’s administrative office and community development department by scheduled appointment only.

Building inspections will also remain scheduled as normal on Tuesdays and Thursdays only, she said.

People can try to schedule appointments to apply for or pay business license and Transient Occupancy Tax fees at (209) 532-4541.

The city Fire Department’s administrative office will be closed to non-emergency business, while the city Police Department’s lobby will be closed for most non-emergency services.

County Administrator Tracie Riggs said she met with heads of departments via Zoom at noon Monday and asked them to provide her with plans for how they would like to operate by the end of Tuesday.

Riggs said changes will be implemented that include limiting hours, requiring face coverings in all county buildings and providing some services via virtual platforms like Zoom, but they are not planning to do a “massive closure of services.”

“We’re trying to do everything we can to keep services open to our community, because that’s what we’re here for, while also keeping everyone safe,” she said.

County Supervisor Karl Rodefer publicly announced on Monday that he is quarantining himself because he was recently exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. He said in a phone interview that he is fine and doesn’t consider it a big deal or newsworthy.

Rodefer said he wasn’t feeling any symptoms Monday and got a test the week before that came back negative, but he intends to get tested again on Thursday and will honor the quarantine to ensure that no one else gets sick.