Deputies in several California counties say they won’t enforce Gov. Gavin Newsom’s stay-at-home order at businesses, reports Fox 11.
Newsom on Thursday announced the state’s strictest new measures aimed at keeping hospitals from becoming overwhelmed, including sweeping stay-at-home orders set to take effect when the intensive care units in a region’s hospitals fill to more than 85% of capacity.
Non-essential businesses such as hair salons, gyms, movie theaters, and other facilities will be ordered to close, and restaurants will only be able to serve takeout.
"I want to stay away from businesses that are trying to comply the best they can," Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva told Fox 11.
"They bent over backwards to modify their entire operation to conform to these current health orders, and then they have the rug yanked out from under them, that’s a disservice. I don’t want to make their lives any more miserable," Villanueva said.
Sheriffs in Ventura County and San Bernardino County in a statement to the news outlet said they were more focused on educating the public about the health orders.
"Our approach to enforcement of the continuously evolving health orders has not changed from the onset of the pandemic,'' said Ventura County Sheriff Bill Ayum. ''Our approach is one of educating the public of the health orders and encouraging compliance with them. Enforcement has always been an option for our staff to use with considerable discretion. However, our primary goal is to seek voluntary compliance whenever possible.''
Sheriffs in Orange and Riverside counties told Fox 11 they also refused to enforce the governor’s curfew order.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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