Non-essential businesses that continue to defy law enforcement directives to shut down under sweeping orders issued by Gov. Gavin Newsom to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic could ultimately have entrances boarded or chained and the owners arrested.
That is the fourth and final step of enforcement recommendations issued by San Joaquin County District Attorney Tori Verber Salazar on April 3 about state and county orders regarding business closures to slow the spread of COVID-19.
The Manteca City Council asked staff to brief them on tools that the police department has at their disposal for non-essential businesses that refuse to comply with shutdown orders.
A description of “the tools” along with a review of the city’s capital improvement project list takes place during a special council meeting set for 5 p.m. today. It can be watched livestreamed via the city’s website or on Comcast Channel 97.
Manteca Police Lt. Stephen Schuler said officers have contacted about two dozen businesses over the past 30 days that were deemed non-essential. After the law and intent of the orders were explained, Schuler said all complied.
“The main thing we do first is education, education, education,” Schuler said.
Businesses violating the order are warned future enforcement will take place if they do not comply. Officers also provide a deadline to comply that could be one minute, one hour or one day depending upon the situation.
If there is resistance — which there hasn’t been so far in Manteca — the next step outlined by the district attorney is issuing a cease and desist order along with posting a sign on the business and the issuance of a summons to appear in court.
Should there be active resistance, multiple violations or evidence the business will continue to defy orders an arrest is recommended. The business’ entrance then could be sealed by boarding it up or chaining the door.
Schuler noted they have been working with businesses that were allowed to re-open by being included on the essential list. He noted Bass Pro Shops developed a plan they shared with Manteca emergency operations center staff regarding how they would enforce social distancing, regulate the number of people in the store, take steps to keep things sanitized as well as other ways they planned to keep employees and customers safe.
The department relies on citizens and patrol officer observations to address non-essential business compliance concerns.
San Joaquin County as of 5 p.m. on Tuesday experienced the biggest one-day jump in confirmed COVID-19 cases — 28 — to bring the total to 335 so far. There were no deaths to keep the county fatalities attributed to the coronavirus at 17.
There were 1,406 more cases and 57 deaths Tuesday in California. That brings the state to 25,770 confirmed cases and 788 deaths.
Nationally the number of COVID-19 cases is at almost 603,000 with 25,575 deaths.
Pandemic expected to peak
May 30 in San Joaquin County
The hospitalizations are expected to peak in San Joaquin County at 299 on May 30.
Without social distancing the peak was projected to hit on April 30 with 768 new COVID-19 cases requiring hospital admissions in a single day.
The projected number of daily intensive care unit admissions would peak at 90 on May 30 instead of 230 on April 30.
Social distancing also means the peak number of coronavirus patients that will be required to go on ventilators in a given day will be at 60 on May 30 instead of 154 on April 30.
Public health officials say that models shows social distancing is working but even with the flattening of the curve, hospitalizations will likely require makeshift hospital space.
Manteca, Lathrop, and Ripon officials are again reminding people that the Centers for Disease Control indicates that people can transmit the disease to others before they show symptoms or without getting sick. It is why they are becoming even more aggressive at enforcing the governor’s orders for store closures and social distancing.
Public comments for
tonight’s council meeting
Public comments for the special Manteca council meeting must be submitted by no later than 3 p.m. today. Public comment will be limited to 250 words and every effort will be made by staff to read these comments into the record. Comments that exceed 250 words will not be read into the record and will be made a part of the official record on file with the City Clerk. Comments received after the 3 p.m. deadline will not be read into the record and will be made a part of the official record on file with the City Clerk if received prior to the end of the meeting.
Public Comment may be submitted by enailingmayorcouncilclerk@ci.manteca.ca.us or they can be hand delivered to the Office of the City Clerk, 1001 W. Center St., Ste. B, Manteca.
For written public comments indicate in the subject line the agenda item number or if the item is related to general public comment.
To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com
