Header Logo Emergency

May 22, 2020 5:00 PM

Amendment No. 3 to Order of the Health Officer of the County of Sonoma C19-09

This Sonoma County Health Order is no longer in effect. This content is provided for historical reference only.

« Return to list of archived Health Orders | See list of Health Orders currently in effect »

En español »

DATE OF AMENDMENT: May 22, 2020

No. C19-09 Extending the Shelter-in-Place Order No. C19-05 Beyond May 3, 2020 »
Guidance Relating to Vehicle-Based School Graduation, Drive-in Movies, and Faith-Based Drive-Thru Ceremonies »
Temporary Guidance for Wineries, Breweries, and Distilleries in Unincorporated Sonoma County »
Guidance for Outdoor Dining » (PDF)
Food Facility Operating Checklist » (PDF)
Press Release »

Please read this Order carefully.  Violation of or failure to comply with this Order is a misdemeanor punishable by fine, imprisonment, or both.  (California Health and Safety Code § 120275, et seq.)

UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF CALIFORNIA HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE SECTIONS 101040, 101085, AND 120175, THE HEALTH OFFICER OF THE COUNTY OF SONOMA (“HEALTH OFFICER”) ORDERS:

  1. On May 22, 2020, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) posted the Public Health Officer’s Variance to Stage 2 of California’s Roadmap to Modify the Stay-at-Home Order Attestation signifying that the County has met all the readiness criteria for an increased pace through Stage 2. The County’s attestation is posted here: https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/COVID-19/County_Variance_Attestation_Form.aspx.  This Amendment No 3 to the Order of the Health Officer C19-09 (“Amendment”) expands the list of businesses able to operate in the County consistent with the State’s Variance process.  Restaurants, food facilities, breweries, bars, pubs, craft distilleries, wineries, and tasting rooms are allowed to operate outdoors if they offer sit-down meals, including providing the meals by contract with another vendor.  This Amendment also expands childcare to include summer day programs, allows drive-in ceremonies and movies, clarifies that counseling provided by faith based organizations can be provided in-person if teleworking is not possible, and allows libraries to offer curbside pickup.
  2. This Amendment becomes effective at 12:01 a.m. on May 23, 2020, and continues in effect until Order C19-09 is rescinded, superseded, or amended in writing by the Health Officer or by the State Public Health Officer.
  3. This Amendment incorporates by reference the May 1, 2020 Order of the Health Officer No. C19-09, the May 7, 2020 Amendment 1 to Order of the Health Officer No. C19-09, and the May 14, 2020 Amendment 2 to Order of the Health Officer No. C19-09. Except as otherwise amended herein, all provisions of that Order remain in full force and effect.  This Order incorporates all provisions of these Orders that are not in conflict.
  4. All businesses, including public agencies, operating in the County shall comply with local and state orders and guidance, including preparing, posting, and implementing a Social Distancing Protocol (https://socoemergency.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Appendix-A_05-01-2020extended.pdf) at all facilities operating in the County, as well as requiring all employees to perform a self-check for COVID-19 symptoms and temperature check before reporting to work site or other assignment away from their residence. Employers should use the free Sonoma County SoCo COVID-19 Check Application at the link below, and soon to be available on the SoCoEmergency website. An alternative system may be utilized as long as it meets the same purpose of employee and employer assessments and as long as it allows the electronic reporting of equivalent data to be reported to the County in aggregate form.
    County Orders and Guidance are located here:
    State Orders and Guidance are located here:
    SoCo COVID-19 Check is located here:
  5. The following businesses are allowed to operate in accordance with state and local guidance (see links in paragraph 4 above) and persons are allowed to leave their home and travel for the purpose of working at or patronizing the following businesses:
    1. Restaurants and food facilities may provide outdoor sit-down meals. Outdoor seating arrangements shall limit the number of patrons at a single table to no more than ten (10) members of a single household or living unit.  People in the same party seated at the same table do not have to be six feet apart.  However, all tables need to be separated by six-feet.  All members of the party must be present before seating and hosts must bring the entire party to the table at one time.  These businesses should continue to encourage drive-thru, delivery, or carry out whenever possible.  Entertainment events are prohibited.  These businesses are subject to existing local and state orders and guidance as indicated above in paragraph 4.
    2. Brewpubs, breweries, bars, pubs, craft distilleries, wineries, and tasting rooms may operate only as follows:
      1. For curbside pick-up, delivery, shipping of food, beverage, or other agricultural products where otherwise allowed by law. These businesses shall otherwise remain closed to the public except as provided below.  These businesses are subject to existing local and state orders and guidance as indicated above in paragraph 4.
      2. If they offer sit-down outdoor meals, including outdoor meals provided by contract with another vendor. Outdoor seating arrangements shall limit the number of patrons at a single table to no more than ten (10) members of a single household or living unit.  People in the same party seated at the same table do not have to be six feet apart.  However, all tables need to be separated by six-feet.  All members of the party must be present before seating and hosts must bring the entire party to the table at one time.  Alcohol can only be served in the same transaction as a meal.  Alcohol only retail sales may only occur after the meal, and only by curbside pick-up, delivery, or shipping.  Entertainment events are prohibited.  These businesses are subject to existing local and state orders and guidance as indicated above in paragraph 4.
    3. All childcare, summer camp programs, and other educational or recreational institutions or programs providing care or supervision for children of all ages for less than 24 hours are permitted. All licensed programs should refer to Department of Social Services, Community Care Licensing PIN 20-06-CCP https://www.cdss.ca.gov/Portals/9/CCLD/PINs/2020/CCP/PIN_20-06-CCP.pdf for best practices.  All other programs should comply with guidance provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for Child Care Programs: .  Additionally all childcare and summer camp programs operating under this must operate under the following conditions:
      1. Childcare shall be carried out in stable groups of 12 or fewer (“stable” means that the same 12 or fewer children are in the same group each day).
      2. Children shall not change from one group to another.
      3. If more than one group of children is cared for at one facility, children shall remain in groups as small as possible and remain separated from other groups. It is important to keep the same children and teacher or staff with each group and include children from the same family in the same group.  Groups shall not mix with each other.
      4. Childcare providers shall remain solely with one group of children, except for temporary briefs or other short-term relief.
      5. Children and childcare providers within the same childcare group are allowed to commingle and are not required to maintain a six-foot distance from each other at all times.
      6. Facial Coverings are not required for children younger than age two (2). For children two (2) years of age or older, the Health Officer encourages parents and childcare providers to follow the guidance of the American Association of Pediatrics when masking children over two years of age.  (https://services.aap.org/en/pages/2019-novel-coronavirus-covid-19-infections/masks-and-children-during-covid-19/).  Facial Covering practices should be consistent with the cognitive and developmental capabilities of the child when in a childcare setting.  Naptime is an exception to the masking requirement as children should not be masked when they are sleeping; napping children should observe social distancing (nap 6 feet apart).
      7. Childcare operations that use facilities defined as “Parks” under the Health Officer’s Order No. C19-11 (“Amended Parks Closure Order to Prevent the Spread of COVID-19, Allowing Limited, Socially Distanced Access to Some Parks, for Outdoor Recreational Activities,” dated May 12, 2020, section 6), shall qualify as “individuals from the same household” for purposes of section 7.f of that Order, so long as they also comply with the group size and other limitations set out in this section.
    4. School graduations, drive-in movies, and faith based drive-thru ceremonies where every participant, excluding official event personnel necessary to facilitate the activity or ceremony (including the host and security), remains in a fully enclosed motorized vehicle during the entirety of the activity or ceremony. The occupants of a vehicle must be members of a single household or living unit and shall not change vehicles during the activity or ceremony.  Further, no more than the legal occupancy in the vehicle is allowed.  For clarity, an enclosed vehicle does not include a motorcycle, a convertible with the top open, a vehicle with no doors, or   These activities and ceremonies are subject to existing local and state orders and guidance as indicated above in paragraph 4, including Guidance Relating to Vehicle-Based School Graduation, Drive-in Movies, and Faith-Based Drive-Thru Ceremonies posted on SoCoEmergency website (drive-in movies are also subject to the state retail sector guidance, https://covid19.ca.gov/pdf/guidance-retail.pdf.).
    5. Counseling provided by faith based organizations can be performed in-person with members of a single household or living unit if telework is not possible, and subject to existing local and state orders and guidance as indicated above in paragraph 4, including the Social Distancing and Hygiene Requirements (C19-09), Facial Covering Order (C19-07), and the State COVID-19 Industry Guidance: Limited Services posted here: https://covid19.ca.gov/pdf/guidance-limited-services.pdf. Counseling service already being performed by teleworking shall not be permitted to convert into in-person counseling. People at high risk of severe illness or death from COVID-19, as defined below in section 6, are encouraged to use counseling by faith based organization through telework or other technologies that support physical distancing and public health guidelines.
    6. Libraries offering curbside pickup. Libraries shall utilize state sector guidance for retail sales for ways in which to ensure items are safe for handling.  https://covid19.ca.gov/pdf/guidance-retail.pdf.
  6. People at high risk of severe illness or death from COVID-19 and people who are sick are strongly encouraged to stay in their residence to the extent possible. These people should make a reasonable effort to avoid leaving home by utilizing delivery services, telecommunications, or other means available.  Nothing prevents a person at high risk of severe illness from leaving home for the reasons otherwise allowed under this Order, if the Essential Activity, Essential Business, or other permissible conduct cannot reasonably be accomplished at their place of residence.  For purposes of this Order, “people at high risk of severe illness” from COVID-19 are people who meet the CDC definition of higher risk ().  Based upon available information to date, those at high-risk for severe illness from COVID-19 include:
    1. People aged 65 years and older.
    2. People who live in a nursing home or long-term care facility.
    3. Other high-risk conditions could include:
      1. People with chronic lung disease or moderate to severe asthma.
      2. People who have serious heart conditions.
      3. People who are immunocompromised including cancer treatment.
      4. People of any age with severe obesity (body mass index [BMI] >40) or certain underlying medical conditions, particularly if not well controlled, such as those with diabetes, renal failure, or liver disease might also be at risk.

    Please note, many conditions can cause a person to be immunocompromised, including cancer treatment, bone marrow or organ transplantation, immune deficiencies, poorly controlled HIV or AIDS, and prolonged use of corticosteroids and other immune weakening medications.

  7. Copies of this Amendment shall promptly be: (1) made available at the County Administration Center at 575 Administration Drive, Santa Rosa CA 95403; (2) posted on the County Public Health Department website (https://sonomacounty.ca.gov/Health/Public-Health/) and (https://socoemergency.org/); and (3) provided to any member of the public requesting a copy of this
  8. If any provision of this Amendment or related Order is held to be invalid, the reminder, including the application of such part or provision to other persons or circumstances, shall not be affected and shall continue in full force and effect.

IT IS SO ORDERED:

Dr. Sundari R. Mase, MD MPH
Health Officer of the County of Sonoma