[Carla Hass, EDC CEO Office]
(PLACERVILLE, CA) – El Dorado County’s Public Health Officer, Dr. Nancy Williams, today issued a directive that clarifies Governor Newsom’s March 18th “Stay At Home” Order as it relates to short-term lodging, defined as a period of less than 30 days at facilities including hotels, motels, condominiums, campgrounds, other units.
“Despite the Governor’s Order to stay home except when necessary and our continued plea to recreate at home, many residents have flocked to Lake Tahoe and other tourist destinations for nothing more than a change of scenery, allowing for a possible increase in the spread of COVID-19,” Williams said. “This Directive sends a very strong statement: people should get their exercise and change of pace from their own backyards and neighborhoods rather than travel to a different destination and risk carrying the virus to other locales, potentially putting additional strain on a healthcare system that is already limited in its ability to care for its own community.”
The Directive states that staying in a short-term for recreation, tourism or as a location other than one’s residence to “shelter in place” is not considered an essential activity and Californians are in violation of the Governor’s Order and Public Health Officer’s earlier Directive if they do so.
Additionally, the Directive clarifies the use of short-term lodging allowances for workers conducting essential services as well as for those who were lodging as of March 20th, 2020 when the Governor’s Order took effect.
