Modoc County first in California to ease stay-at-home orders

Sparsely populated Modoc County, in California's northeast corner, plans to reopen its schools, hair salons, churches, restaurants and the county's only movie theater Friday, becoming the first county in the state to ease out of stay-at-home orders and flouting the governor's mandate.

Ned Coe, a cattle rancher and county supervisor, said Thursday that the county across the border from Oregon has no confirmed COVID-19 cases. After consulting with health officials, the board of supervisors voted this week to re-open on May 1, he said.

“Just as our physical health is vital for our citizens, so is the mental health and the economic health of our citizens,” Coe said.

The plan asks business owners in the county of about 9,000 people that spans 4,200 square miles (11,000 square kilometres) to make sure customers remain six feet apart. It asks restaurants to cut their capacity by half and requires residents who are 65 or older or have underlying health conditions to continue to stay home.

Coe said county officials sent a letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom about a week ago outlining their plan, which he said meets the guidelines outlined by the governor for stay-home orders to be eased out in phases, but they haven't received a response. He said he was not worried the state might take legal action against the county for violating his order, which does yet allow such businesses to reopen.

“The governor himself has indicated that it is time to start opening in a staged and safe manner, and that will be different for different areas of the state,” he said.

Newsom's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the letter.

In the county seat of Alturas, population 3,000, where restaurants serving Mexican, Italian, Chinese and other cuisine cater to travelers using Highway 395 through the town, some restaurant managers were removing tables to make sure they are ready Friday to keep the required distance between customers.

Most parts of the county are so sparsely populated that people already keep their distance from each other, Coe said. He said the hairstylist he frequents has only one chair at her salon and works alone.

“Social distancing was the norm here before it became the popular thing in the state," Coe said.

The plan will be revisited after two weeks, and the stricter measures could be reinstated if at least two people test positive for the coronavirus, according to the new guidelines.