HomeMy WebLinkAbout04.27.20 Email from Lisa Almaguer - For Immediate Release_ Butte County Starts Planning Efforts for Roadmap to Reopening
From:Almaguer, Lisa
To:Alpert, Bruce;Bennett, Robin;Clerk of the Board;Connelly, Bill;Cook, Holly;Lambert, Steve;Lucero, Debra;
McCracken, Shari;Pickett, Andy;Ring, Brian;Ritter, Tami;Rodas, Amalia;Sweeney, Kathleen;Teeter, Doug;
EOC PIO;Aldrich, Mary Ann;Tara Sullivan Hames;211Resource Team
Cc:Hatcher, Casey;York, Danette;Miller, Andrew
Subject:For Immediate Release: Butte County Starts Planning Efforts for Roadmap to Reopening
Date:Monday, April 27, 2020 8:04:24 AM
Good morning - the following press release is scheduled to be released this morning by
8:30 am.
Thank you,
Lisa
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 27, 2020
Media Contact: Lisa Almaguer, PIO: 530-966-1686
Butte County Public Health Starts Planning Effort for a Roadmap
to Reopening Butte County
BUTTE COUNTY, Calif. – Butte County Public Health started a planning effort this week to
develop a roadmap to reopen Butte County. The County remains subject to the State’s Stay-
at-Home Order, and does not currently have authority to modify or lift the State order to be
less restrictive in regards to staying home, social distancing, and essential operations.
“It has been made very clear to Public Health jurisdictions that we can decide to be more
restrictive than the State order, but we cannot decide to be less restrictive,” said Danette
York, Butte County Public Health Director. “What we want to do is make sure we are ready
with a local plan for phased reopening in case the State modifies the Stay-at-Home Order and
looks to counties to implement local plans.”
Butte County Public Health established a six member panel of local health experts to develop
specific, data-driven guidelines for reopening that both limit and monitor the spread of
COVID-19. The panel will consider the Federal Government’s “Guidelines: Opening Up
American Again,” the State of California’s “Roadmap to Modify the Stay-At-Home Order,” and
reopening plans developed by other California Counties as it develops guidelines for Butte
County.
Butte County Public Health Officer, Dr. Andy Miller, said, “We are fortunate to have
representatives from each of our local hospitals on the local health expert panel. It is critical to
have both Public Health and our healthcare industry working together as we determine the
metrics to consider for reopening guidelines.”
The County’s Emergency Operation Center (EOC) is supporting Public Health with the planning
process for reopening Butte County. The EOC will coordinate with public and private sector
representatives to make sure impacted sectors can provide input on how reopening guidelines
may impact operations within the industry. The Butte County EOC will work with a team of
representatives from each of the cities and the Town to determine the industry sectors and
then reach out to industry representatives directly.
“Any plan for reopening has to consider the public and private sectors that have been
impacted by the State’s Stay-at-Home Order,” said Shari McCracken, Butte County Chief
Administrative Officer and EOC Incident Commander. “Businesses and organizations need to
be able to tell us how these planning decisions can really work for them. We can’t work with
every business directly, but we can work with representatives from the impacted sectors.”
“We know this is a just planning activity right now, but it gives us hope that we can work
toward safely reopening Butte County if we limit and monitor the spread of COVID-19,” said
Danette York.
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