How DHS businesses could be cited for not complying with county occupancy restrictions

Restaurants and bars have had to deal with the latest restrictions on group settings imposed by the county.

As of Monday, the Riverside County Department of Public Health issued an order prohibiting gatherings of 10 or more people. It included restaurant occupancy inside one single establishment. A restaurant in compliance would also mean that patrons and employees inside could keep a social distance of at least 6 feet. Those that could not meet the requirements would likely have to switch to take-out or delivery options.

On Wednesday morning, the city of Desert Hot Springs held a council meeting. The council voted 5-0 in closed session, to ratify the declaration of a local emergency.

The council also reinforced Riverside County's guidelines on group gatherings. It went a step further to determine consequences for city restaurants, bars and eateries if found not in compliance.

“We gave the notices and we’re hoping that businesses will follow through," Desert Hot Springs Mayor Scott Matas said.

Businesses throughout the city were put on notice following the strict guidelines.

"What the city will do if there are complaints of 10 or more people in one location, is our code enforcement department, and possibly police department will respond to these calls," Matas said.

Matas said businesses that are not in compliance could expect to receive a warning. If found in violation a second time, a citation would be issued.

Restaurants throughout the valley have been scrambling to keep up with the evolving changes.

"For now we’re going to be implementing delivery service which we’ve never done before," owner of Delicias Mexican Cuisine, Cesar Olvera said.

The Desert Hot Springs restaurant is located off Pierson Boulevard near Cactus Street. The restaurant opened up just 7 months ago, and has already started facing one of its biggest challenges yet.

"In order for us to have the restaurant running even with minimal staff we need 3 or 4 people, so that only leaves room for 6 guests here at a time," Olvera said.

The restaurant changed its set-up to offer authentic Mexican breakfast and lunch until 4 p.m. After hours were designated solely for deliveries and pick-ups.

"We’re also offering discounts on takeout orders," Olvera said.

The restaurant is one of several that have taken the new order seriously.

"Obviously we’re trying to stay positive with this. It is something that’s going to put us back a little bit," Olvera said.

Meanwhile, the city of Desert Hot Springs has chosen to give businesses a chance at following the rules, before criminalizing the situation.

"We’re not looking for citing businesses, what we’re looking for is compliance and being good neighbors," Mayor Matas said.

The county guidelines have become stricter for eateries and bars that do not follow the order. If a business is not in compliance, the county will opt to take immediate court action.